PTA Tax on iPhone 15 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max in Pakistan

10 Oct 2026 · 5 min read

The iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max are two of the most popular used iPhones in Pakistan, and many of them arrive non-PTA from the Gulf, the UK or the USA. Before you buy one, or before you bring one home, you need a realistic idea of the PTA tax.

The short answer: both phones sit in a high value slab, so the tax is large, often well over a lakh of rupees, and it is usually lower on a passport than on a CNIC. The exact figure depends on the rules in force when you register, so the only number to trust is the one PTA's DIRBS system shows you before you pay. Here is how it works.

How the PTA tax is worked out

"PTA tax" is the everyday name for the customs duty and taxes charged when a phone is registered on DIRBS. PTA runs the registration, but the government sets the rates, and they can change in the federal budget.

The phone's customs value. Phones are taxed in value slabs. Pro Max iPhones are among the most valuable phones around, so they fall in the top slabs.
Passport or CNIC. Registering on a passport (for people arriving from abroad) has usually cost noticeably less than registering on a CNIC.
The rates in force. A figure a friend paid last year may not be what you pay today.

Storage can matter too, because a higher-storage version can carry a higher value. The full background is in our guide to PTA tax on mobile phones.

Rough ranges for the 15 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max

We don't publish exact official figures, because they change and a wrong number can cost you money. As a rough guide only:

iPhone 15 Pro Max: the tax has typically been somewhere around Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.6 lakh on a passport, and higher on a CNIC.
iPhone 14 Pro Max: usually in a similar band, often a little lower, roughly Rs 90,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh on a passport, and higher on a CNIC.

Treat these as ballpark numbers to help you judge a deal, not as the amount you will pay. Always confirm the exact figure on PTA's DIRBS website before paying anything.

Steps to pay the tax through DIRBS

Dial *#06# to get the IMEI numbers. Both phones have eSIM, so they show two IMEIs. Register both if asked.
Go to PTA's DIRBS portal (dirbs.pta.gov.pk) and choose individual device registration.
Enter your passport or CNIC details, the IMEI numbers and the phone's details.
DIRBS generates a PSID (payment slip ID) showing the exact amount due. This is the real figure.
Pay the PSID through your bank app, an ATM or a bank branch before it expires.
Wait for the payment to be confirmed, then send the IMEI to 8484 to check that the phone now shows as compliant.

If paying in one go is hard, read about PTA tax on installment. For more on Apple phones in general, see PTA tax on iPhone in Pakistan.

Is paying the tax worth it, or should you buy PTA approved?

Do this simple sum before you decide:

Non-PTA price + PTA tax (from your PSID) = your real cost.

Now compare that with the asking price of a PTA approved unit in the same condition and storage. Check live ads for the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Paying the tax makes sense if you already own the phone, you are arriving from abroad and can register on your passport, or your total comes out clearly lower than a PTA approved unit.
Buying PTA approved makes more sense if you would register on a CNIC, the totals are close, or you want to avoid the paperwork.

For older phones the sum gets worse every year. The used price of a 14 Pro Max keeps falling, but its tax does not fall at the same speed, so the tax becomes a bigger share of what the phone is worth. That is why many buyers of these models now go straight for PTA approved units. Our guide on PTA vs non-PTA iPhone prices shows the typical gaps.

Common mistakes to avoid

Trusting a seller's quote for the tax. Get the PSID amount yourself.
Buying a patched or JV phone to dodge the tax. It can be blocked later.
Missing the temporary period. A non-PTA phone works on a local SIM only for a limited time. Check DIRBS for the current rules.
Registering only one IMEI on a dual-IMEI phone when both are needed.

Before paying for any used Pro Max, read the buying tips in our iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max guides.

Buy or sell a Pro Max on VerifiedPhones

Browse PTA approved iPhones to compare real prices in your city. Upgrading? Post your phone free and reach buyers across Pakistan.